“...And those who avoid the greater sins, and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse), and when they are angry, forgive.” (Qur'an, 42:37) LOOK at the mercy a mother has for her baby she feeds. Can we imagine her ever harming the child? Look at the the elephant, a creature that weighs more than a ton, has so much mercy for its offspring. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah divided Mercy into one-hundred parts and He kept its ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down its one part on the earth, and because of that, its one single part, His creations are Merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it.” (Bukhari) When Iftar time approaches we see erratic driving on the streets of Jeddah. Cars whizzing through the streets, horns blasting and tempers rising above the boiling point as if they have a grand prix to win. We also witness some of the worst behavior. What about people waiting to collect the sambosas and other delights? Pushing and shoving, shouting and acting in a way that you would think we were in a food crises with diminishing rations. After all this havoc, the peaceful time for Isha prayer comes. People make their way to the mosque. The aroma of the best musk and oud fills the air and the best clothes are worn. Brotherhood seems to be all around. The Imam comes to the place of prayer and the excitement sets in as he starts reciting from the Holy Qur'an. Worshippers tremble hearing the words of Allah. People are in full concentration - contemplating, reflecting and seeking forgiveness. The prayer draws to an end and the Imam makes his final supplications. The congregation is brought to an unbelievable state of realization that Allah is the All-Mighty and only Allah can answer our prayers. We hear supplications for those who are ill and suffering, for those who died and those who are alive. The mosque is filled with sound of uncontrollable crying. The prayer concludes. Worshippers make their way to the exit. Just when they are about to leave, the pushing and shoving begins. People want their shoes and they will do whatever they can to get it first. Once in their cars, again horns start blasting with no one willing to give way for others. It's hard to believe they are the same people with full solemnity five minutes prior to exiting the mosque. We should have maximum mercy on each other in this month. This is the month of forgiveness so let us forgive and take maximum benefit from what Allah has promised us. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands.” (Bukhari) __
